Three Dancers in Purple Skirts 1898

Edgar Degas made this pastel drawing, Three Dancers in Purple Skirts, sometime in the late 19th century. Degas was fascinated by the ballet, a world of artifice, discipline, and performance, deeply embedded in the social fabric of Paris. Look closely, and you'll notice the dancers aren't idealized figures but are captured in moments of effort and strain. Their bodies, while graceful, also reveal the physical demands of their profession. This hints at the socio-economic realities of these dancers, who often came from working-class backgrounds and saw ballet as a means of social mobility. Degas challenges traditional representations of women. The dancers are neither goddesses nor domestic figures, but working women navigating the complex dynamics of the Parisian social scene. The beauty of the artwork emerges from this tension, inviting us to reflect on the dreams, struggles, and realities of these women.